In this paper, fixed-time stability problem of nonlinear system is investigated. Firstly, a new fixed-time stability theorem is established, and a higher precise estimate of settling time is provided. Secondly, by theoretical deduction, the provided estimate is compared with the ones in existing fixedtime stabiity theorems. It is shown that our estimate is less conservative and more accurate than existing results. Moreover, as a practical application, fixed-time stabilization problem of general neural networks is studied. By developing a framework of protocol and applying the new fixed-time stability theorem, some new criteria are derived to solve fixed-time stabilization problem of general neural networks systems. Finally, two simulation examples are provided to verify the validity of our theoretical results. INDEX TERMS Fixed-time stability, Filippov solution, general neural networks, settling time.